The six Sudani
brothers - Allal, M'Barek, Azuz, Hamza, Najib &
Bujmaa - are the sons of M'allim Hajub "Gubani"
Sudani, who died in 1997. What follows is an interview
with M'allim Gubani by Abdelkabir Namir and published in
the newspaper Le Matin on June 4, 1998.
Premier Festival international de
la culture des Gnaoua Réminiscences
Homage to M'allin
Gubani, Gnawi master of Essaouira
The
First international Festival of the culture of the Gnawa
will take place in Essaouira this coming June 5 - 7. On
the program of this noteworthy presentation is a lila in
memory of Hajub Gubani: one of the old Gnawa masters of
Essaouira.
This
lila of derderba (a night organized for
the possesion ceremony specific to the Gnawa) will be
conducted by one of the last elder Ma'llimin of
that generation, Boubker Guinea, in the company of the
younger Allal Sudani, the eldest son of Gubani, and two
other Ma'llimin (Abdellatif Makhzumi and Brahim Balkani,
both of Marrakech) who will equally take part in the
ceremony. Also taking conspicuous part in this homage to
the master will be the associated clairvoyants of the
Gnawa brotherhood. This article will present some
previously unpublished oral history from the mouth of the
sadly departed M'allim Hajub Gubani. This informal
interview took place in November 1993, in the premises of
Frédéric Damgaard at the skala of Essaouira.
M'allim
Gubani relates:
"My
father was named M'Barek and was a nativeof Chnafou in
Sudan from where he was abducted and sold in the Sahara,
while my mother was originally from Bamako in Mali... Me,
I was born in Essaouira in 1923... Since 1985, I have
been Moqadem of the zawia of the Gnawa.
In 1987, I was designated as Moqadem of the
taifa of the Gnawa of Essaouira... "
Indeed,
his official papers, national card of identity and
certificate accorded by the municipality and the
competent authorities of religious affairs confirm his
what he says.
"Between
my friend M'allim Boubker Guinea and me, there are
several differences in our how we play. Me, I've mastered
only the marsawi style. Whereas Boubker also
plays the gharbawi. One can easily note the
differences between these two schools in the mastery of
the instruments, the song repertoire, and the ritual. Me,
I respect the traditions of the marsaoui more...
Nowadays
times change so quickly and our customs with them. The
true souiri Gnawa style does not exist any more.
The true mastery of the notes has been lost. The young Jeddaba
(dancers in trance) of today are not true adepts.
There is no more Ahl Alhal like we had known in the past.
It used to be that true m'allemin were afraid of
these people of the Hal, these Jeddaba
experts who would not tolerate any false notes in the
execution of the music of their Mlouk... "
Master
Gubani evokes, with emotion his difficult and happy youth
in the labyrinths of the medina...
"We
used to, my friend Boubker and I, play in the same group
during our youth. One day, we decided to go separate ways
during the moussem of Tameslohte... Each one of
us kept his characteristic dkhira (provision in
divine gift rabani) without which no success is
possible... Back then, one played for scarcely any money.
Each Gnawi had his trade: carpentry, masonry or another.
During the lila or the feast days, people simply
gave a symbolic ftouh (moderate amount of money)
as they wished. One played our sacred music for pleasure
and the Hal (the ecstatic psychological state of
this ritual)..."
In
connection with the construction of the zawia
of the Gnawa of Essaouira, M'allim
Gubani recalls:
"I
knew Haj Abderrahmane Joua: father of Allal Joua after
whom one of the lanes of the medina has always been
named.
He
owned seven black slaves whom he regarded as his own
children. He taught them each one a trade. One of them,
M'allim Salem became a mason who became recognized and
acclaimed throughout the region. It was he who did the
construction of the room of the current sanctuary of the
Gnawa of Essaouira. Before this time, there had been in
this place a simple m'zara (a ring of stones for
cooking outdoors). Then, it was transformed into a wala
(hut). On this site, M'allim Salem built our zawia."
There
has existed, probably in this same place (the current
Casbah) since the 18th century, a cooking site where
blacks (former slaves) would gather outside of the city
as it had been constructed beginning in 1764 by Sidi
Mohamed Ben Abdallah.
I
end here, for the moment, my discussion with M'allim
Hajub Gubani. To finish this article, I'll offer a
concrete example of an authentic document of interest for
ethnographic study.
During
one of our amicable evenings together, M'allim Hajub took
out of his pocket an old photograph about which he
started to comment:
"This
photograph was taken about 1930. Here are the local
French authorities in military uniforms... The white
people in Jellabas are the representatives of
the different religious brotherhoods of the city: the
black that you see there, the first on the right, is my
father M'Barek. He's carrying the Gnawa flag.
The
second holds up that of Jilala. The others carry
the flags of the different zawia active in that
period: Hamadcha, Aissawia, Regraga, Tuhama,
R'ma, Ghazawa and the Taifa of Moulay
Brahim..."
This
invaluable document has been preserved by Frederic
Damgaard who understood the immediately the historical
value of this photograph. It is on exhibit today, in the
company of other photographs, taken by Youssef Regragui,
depicting the Gnawa of Essaouira during various
occasions.
The
exposition takes place in the old courthouse. The
proceeds of its sales will go to the zawia of
Gnaoua of the city.
By
Abdelkabir Namir
Author of La
Baraka de Regraga (Ed. Sefriou,
Essaouira, 1996)
Original article printed in Le
Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb, Thursday June 4, 1998.
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